Kia Wins "World Car of the Year" for Second Consecutive Year

EV3 Named "World Car of the Year"
Wins Six World Car Awards

Kia announced on the 20th that the EV3 was named "World Car of the Year (WCOTY)" at the "2025 World Car Awards," the most prestigious automobile awards in the world. This marks a remarkable achievement for Kia, winning the World Car of the Year for the second consecutive year following last year's victory with the large electric SUV, the EV9.

Kia announced on the 20th that the EV3 was selected as the "World Car of the Year" at the "2025 World Car Awards," the most prestigious automobile awards in the world. From left: Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Chairman of the World Car Awards; Steven Center, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Kia America; Jens Meiners, Judge of the World Car Awards. Kia

The EV3 earned the honor of being selected as the world’s best car of the year, beating out the Hyundai Casper Electric and BMW X3, which were also finalists among 52 competing models for the World Car of the Year award.

The EV3 is available in two versions: a long-range model equipped with an 81.4kWh battery and a standard model with a 58.3kWh battery. The long-range model, with 17-inch wheels, offers a certified driving range of 501km per charge according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy standards, and 605km under the European WLTP standard. When using a 350kW fast charger, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.

The EV3 is the first Hyundai Motor Group vehicle to feature "i-Pedal 3.0," which allows for acceleration, deceleration, and stopping using only the accelerator pedal, and can be activated at all regenerative braking levels. This enhances not only driving convenience but also passenger ride comfort.

Additionally, the driver’s space is equipped with the latest features, including a panoramic wide display that integrates three screens?a 12.3-inch cluster, a 5-inch climate control display·and a 12.3-inch infotainment system?along with a head-up display, dynamic ambient lighting, and a double D-cut steering wheel. For comfort, relaxation comfort seats are provided in the first row and reclining seats in the second row, creating a home-like living space.

The EV3’s outstanding product competitiveness has been recognized worldwide. The EV3 has won several awards, including "2025 UK Car of the Year," "2025 Finland Car of the Year," "2025 Denmark Car of the Year," the "2025 Women’s World Car of the Year" in the compact SUV category, the crossover category at the UK "2024 TopGear Awards," and the best car under 40,000 euros at Germany’s "2024 Golden Steering Wheel Awards."

Kia announced on the 20th that the EV3 was selected as the "World Car of the Year" at the prestigious "2025 World Car Awards." Steven Center, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Kia America, is taking a commemorative photo for the World Car of the Year award. Kia
Photo by Kia

Kia has now won the top honor of World Car of the Year at the World Car Awards three times.

The first win was in 2020 with the Telluride, which became the first Korean brand to be named World Car of the Year. The Telluride was praised for its outstanding design, spacious interior, high practicality, and powerful performance both in the city and off-road. The second win came with the EV9, which received high marks for its futuristic design, innovative electrification technology, and advanced connectivity features.

In addition to these, Kia has demonstrated its strength as a leading RV brand by winning a total of six awards over the past six years at the World Car Awards, including the Soul EV (2020 World Urban Car), EV6 GT (2023 World Performance Car), EV9 (2024 World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle of the Year), and now the EV3 in 2025.

Launched in 2004, the World Car Awards is considered one of the world’s top three automobile awards, along with the "North American Car of the Year (NACTOY)" and the "European Car of the Year (COTY)." The results are announced annually at the New York International Auto Show in the United States.

Song Ho Sung, President and CEO of Kia, stated, "We are honored that the EV3 has been awarded World Car of the Year at the prestigious World Car Awards. This award demonstrates Kia’s global leadership in providing sustainable mobility solutions based on innovative technology and outstanding design, and proves that the EV3 is delivering a new user experience to customers worldwide with its best-in-class product competitiveness."